Bank-protector



(NoModeL) ,3 Sheets-Sheet 1; J. A. SAXON.

BANK PROTEGTOR.

Patented Nov. 17, 1891.

o L WITNESSES.

Moms Farina-ca, PHoYo-urnu, msmmmm, n, c.

(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 2.

J. A. SAXON.

V BANK PROTECTOR. No. 463,549. Patented Nov. 17, 1891.

(No'ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. A SA-XON. BANK PROTECTOR.

Patented Nov. 17, 1891.

@Hiovn @1 14 NrrE JAMES A. SAXO-N, or LEONARD, TEXAS.

BAN K-PROTECTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,549, dated November17, 1891. Application filed JannaryZQ, 1891. Serial No. 379,528.tNomndel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES A. SAXON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Leonard,

in the county of Fannin and State of Texas, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Bank-Protectors; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear,

vand exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention consists in a new and improved bank-protector, whichconsists,broadly, in vertically-moving shields, which are ar ranged justwithin the cashiers and tellers windows and within the outer door of thebank, and in connecting mechanism whereby the cashier can by a simplemovement of his foot cause all the said shields to drop and cause analarm-bell to be sounded, thereby not only protecting the cashier andother bank officials, but also trapping the bank-robber within the bankbuilding, preventing his escape, and rendering his capture certain.Moreover, my protector can be so arranged or set at night that should arobber endeavor to open the door leading into the bank the mechanismwill be automatically operated by the movement of the said door and theseveral shields dropped to protect the valuables within the building andto trap the burglar and prevent his escape, while at the same time .thealarm is sounded both in the bank and at any distant point desired, suchas a neighboring police-station.

My invention will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top perspectiveview of the interior of a bank provided with my invention. Fig. 2illustrates the mechanism which supports and operates the shield at thefront door. Fig. 3 illustrates the mechanism which supports and operatesone of the windowshields. Fig. at illustrates the supporting andoperating mechanism for the other windowshield. Fig. 5 illustrates themechanism and connections of the alarm-bell. trates the device by meansof which the bankprotector is set at night on closing the bank so thatit will operate automatically. Fig. 7

is a detail perspective view of a portion of the operating mechanism.Fig. 8 is a top per- Fig. 6 illus-' spective view of the operatingmechanism minus the mechanism by which the operating mechanism isconnected to the main door of the bank.

The same numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

Referring to the several parts by their designating-numerals, 1indicates the main entrance of the bank, and 2 2 indicate the two barredwindows of the partition behind which the cashier and tellers stand.

3 indicates the main connecting-rod, which is suitably arranged, sothat'it is free to slide back and forth. To the forward end of this rodis coupled a bolt 4, which is pressed forward by a spring 5.

6 indicates the metal shield for the front door, which slides invertical grooves 7, and has a rope 8 attached to its upper end andrunning through eyes 9, by means of which the shield is drawn up intoits elevated position. When thus drawn up to leave the front doorwayclear, the front end of the bolt 4 engages under a lug 10 on the shieldand holds it raised until the bolt is drawn back.

The window 2 is protected by a metal shield 11, sliding in verticalgrooves inside of the grating at the window, which is likewise raised bya rope 12, and when this shield is raised vit is held by aspring-actuated bolt 13, enga ing under a lug It on the shield. Theshouldered forward end of this belt passes through the bifurcated lowerend of a pivoted lever 15, which is pivotally connected at its upper endby. a'link 16 with the outer end of a lever 17, which is pivotallymounted at its middle and has its inner end pivotally connected to theconnecting-rod 3, as better shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings. The window2 is .protected by a metal shield 18, which slides in vertical groovesand is raised by a rope 19. When this shield is raised, a lug 20 on itsside engages with the hooked lower end of a centrally-pivotedspring-actuated bolt or le ver 21, the upper end of which is connectedby a link 22 with the connectingrod 3, as shown. The rear end 34.- ofthe connectingrod is bent at right angles and fits in the slotted upperend of a centrally-pivoted lever23, the said end being pressed forwardby a spring 2%. The lower end of this lever is connected by a wire orlight rod 25 with one arm of a ICQ r of a lug 38 on said rod.

bell-crank lever 26, and from the other arm of this lever a cord 27extends down to footlevers 28, of which two are preferably employed, onerunning beneath each window, as shown. It will now be seen that, whenthe several shields are raised and caught by their respective bolts, ona bank robber entering the bank the cashier can by simply pressing downthe foot-lever 28 with his foot draw the connecting-rod 3 back againstthe pressure of its spring, thus through the connections above describeddrawing back the several spring-actuated bolts and freeing the metalshields, which will then instantly fall by theirown weight, thus in aninstant shielding the cashier from injury and trapping the robberswithin the bank building, so that they can be readily captured.

29 indicates a clock mechanism, the escapemovement of which is connectedby a wire 30 with a pivoted rod 31. The clock mechanism is wound up, andthe free end of the rod 31 is then caught on the notched plate 32, thusholding the escapement so that the clockspring cannot unwind. On thelower part of the lever 23 is secured an angular arm 33, which extendsunder the free end of the rod 31, and when the lower end of the lever 23is drawn forward, on pressing down the foot-lever 28, the arm 33 willraise the free end of the rod 31 clear of the notched stop-plate 32,leaving the clock mechanism free to unwind, when the hammer 3i will ringthe alarm-bell 35 at the same time that the several shields are dropped.Electrical connection can be made between this bell and an alarm-bell atthe cashiers home to be connected at night, or with an alarm-bell at thenearest policestation.

In order to set the bank-protector so that it will operate automaticallyat night on a bu rglar entering the bank, I employ the following device:36 indicates avertical rod mounted in bearings over the front door ofthe bank, so that it can turn in said bearings. The upper end of thisrod has an arm 37 extending at right angles over the connecting-rod 3 infront The lower end of the rod has a similar arm 39, 011 which ispivotally mounted a notched plate 40, which is pressed downward by aspring 41, connected at one end to the arm 39,adjacent to the verticalrod 36. To the upper end of the door 42, at the entrance of the bank, issecured a fixed bolt 43. The notched plate 40 is normally held raisedout of the way of the bolt 43 by a cord i l, running to the cashiersdesk. At night, or at any time that the cashier desires, this cord isslacked to lower the plate 40 after the door 42 is closed. The bolt 43then engages with the notched plate, so that should a robber force thedoor open the lower arm 39 will be swung inward, thus turning the rod36, and, through its upper arm 37, pressing the connecting-rod 3 back,releasing all the shields, so as to capture the burglar within the bankbuilding, and at the same time sounding the alarm.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s-- 1. The combination of the vertically-slidin gshields arranged to close the cashiers and the other inner windows of abank and the door of the bank, the sliding spring-actuatedconnecting-rod 3, the spring-actuated bolts supporting the shields intheir raised positions and connected with the rod 3, and the footlever28, connected with the connecting-rod, so as to slide the same whendepressed, substantially as set'forth.

2. The combination of the vertically-slidin g shields 6 11 18, thespring-actuated bolts supporting the same in their raised position andconnected with the rod 3, the sliding springactuated connecting-rod 3,having the lug 33, the rod 36, having the upper and lower arms 37 39 andthe notched plate &0, pivoted on said lower arm, and. the foot-lever 28,connected with the connecting-rod so as to slide the same, substantiallyas set forth.

3. The combination of the vertically-slidin g shields 6 11 18, thespring-actuated bolts supporting the same in their raised position andconnected with the rod 3, the sliding springactuated connecting-rod 3-,having the lug 38, the rod 36, having the upper and lower arms 37 39 andthe notched plate 40, pivoted on said lower arm, the alar m-belhand theclock mechanism adapted to be released on the backward movement of theconnecting-rod 3, and the foot-lever 28, connected with theconnectingrod so as to slide the same, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. SAXON.

\Vitnesses:

J. K. Conn, II. R. WALES.

